Just a couple of days ago, the Dallas Mavericks fired general manager Nico Harrison after his rocky tenure of just over four years. The firing came just nine months after the infamous Luka Dončić trade, and Mavericks' star rookie and No. 1 overall 2025 NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg has now weighed in on Harrison's departure. Flagg couldn't have been expecting to land in Dallas, given he was going to be the top draft selection, but after the Mavericks made the biggest jump in NBA Draft Lottery history since the format was changed in 2019, his fate was sealed. It probably couldn't have been a more dramatic situation for the former Duke Blue Devil to be drafted into, as the Dallas fan base was already done with Harrison, considering he traded the franchise's generational talent for a mediocre return.
Flagg has dealt with some struggles on the court, but has all-around had a solid start to his professional career. However, Dallas fans would still chant "Fire Nico" at home games, something that became a regularity at American Airlines Center. It felt like a matter of time before Harrison was ultimately let go, and now the Mavericks can turn a new leaf and hope to compete for a playoff spot.
Cooper Flagg weighs in on Nico Harrison's firing, saying, "I'm just here to play basketball."
The star rookie was recently asked about his thoughts on Harrison's departure, and he gave a classy and mature response, one that's very impressive for an 18-year-old.
“From what I knew, he seemed like a great guy and we had a really solid relationship," Flagg said. "At the end of the day I’m here to play basketball and whatever goes on above me, is above me.”
Dallas entered the 2025-26 campaign expected to compete atop the Western Conference after adding Flagg, given it had one of the more complete rosters in the conference. But through the first 12 games of the season, it hasn't been pretty.
The Mavericks have lost six of their last seven games and are now 3-9 on the young season, good for the second-worst record in the Western Conference. It got so bad that fans began to chant "Fire Nico" while Mavericks players were at the free throw line.
Dallas' front office has made media headlines more than most others around the NBA over the last several months, but now Flagg and the rest of the franchise can move on and hope to turn the campaign around.